There has been much to do of late
concerning the Fundamentalists' hatred of homosexuals. I want to go on record
that I do not hate them.
- I do not wish anyone to be executed
- I do not wish anyone to be placed in prison
- I do not wish anyone to be persecuted
I will go on record as being appalled
by the outlandish sentiments of those preachers recently cited as urging the
above upon people in the homosexual community (I did note that among those
cited were people of other than Independent Fundamental Baptists, though one of
them was.)
I am certain there is much better
preaching than the kind of preaching that incites people to hysteria over their
pet peeves. It's pretty easy to get people stirred up over things that appeal
to their sense of culture. Too much preaching serves no real purpose but to
please the listener. To what value is it to preach to a room full of non
homosexuals that you think that all homosexuals should be executed? Those in
the room have no authority to practice your message and presumably have no need
of repenting of the sin being preached against.
But it is not hateful to preach
what the Bible says and the Bible does say that homosexuality is sin. The
lifestyle is contrary to nature and to the purpose for which God has created
us.
- To urge a congregation to practice the Word of
God
- To encourage people to obey all of the Word of
God
- To enlist a congregation to pray for those who
are involved in a non biblical lifestyle
That is not hatred.
Those who have wrongly applied
the Christian message have incited a different kind of hatred than against
homosexuals; they have stirred up the hatred of those non Fundamentalist
Christians against not just Fundamentalists but everyone they choose to label
as Fundamentalists. Several articles and blog pieces have suggested that
Fundamentalism will soon be illegal because of the kinds of sermons they have
cited in the last few days. Here is the thing; Bible believing Christianity has
been illegal for the better part of Christian history. To be sure, there has
been a long history now of a particular form of Christianity that has wielded popularity
and politic power, but a good part of those who have claimed to be Christians
have always been
- Hated,
- Imprisoned
- Persecuted and even
- Executed
by both the non Christian and the
established kind of Christian world. Such attacks upon Fundamentalism will not
stop it or change it; it will just refine and define who in it really is
Fundamental.
Marvin
McKenzie
In
the fields
